After traveling for about three hours, they arrived at Anya's hometown. Mr. Barry welcomed them immediately, inviting the couple to have lunch together in their vineyard.

"You're very beautiful," complimented Mrs. Barrymore, Mr. Barry's young wife. Actually, she was more the man's daughter than spouse. Anya noticed her several times. She didn't know where they met, but she felt familiar with Mrs. Barrymore.

"Thank you, ma'am. You too," Anya said.

"You should have a bite to eat before continuing your journey to Christmas Valley," said Mr. Barry.

"Sorry uncle, I've been a nuisance," Xav looked reluctantly at the man in the cowboy hat.

"I consider you like my own son Xav. Is it appropriate for a father to be inconvenienced by his son's arrival?"

Xav smiled, "how is your father, son?" asked Mr. Barrymore.

"Fine, I guess. I don't know uncle, we just had a fight. He won't even talk to me." Anya, who had been busy looking at the acres of vineyards, didn't realize that the face of the man beside her instantly changed when talking about her father.

"I suppose your relationship has improved?" said Mrs. Barrymore.

Mr. Barry immediately glanced at his wife, signaling her not to continue.

Xav smiled wryly, "No, I don't think our relationship will ever improve, it's just getting worse by the day."

Things became very awkward after that, lunch passed in silence. Anya's seeming indifference to what was going on with Xav made Mr. Barrymore frown. There was a glimmer of suspicion in his heart.

***

After lunch, the two of them quickly said goodbye. It was obvious that Xav was not comfortable being there for long. He preferred to leave Mr. Barrymore's house immediately. Guided by a private driver, Xav and Anya headed for Mr. Barry's cottage. Where they would be staying. Ronnie went straight back to twinnies palace so it was now just the two of them.

"Thank you," Anya said as the driver helped carry their suitcases and luggage into the cottage.

"You're welcome, oh yes this is my phone number. You can call this number if you need anything. And here are the keys to the car in the garage, there's a supply of fuel in the shed too." The young man explained before leaving them.

"Thank you," Anya said kindly, while Xav was quiet and didn't say much after lunch.

The young man left. Only a few seconds later Xav suddenly blurted out, "why are you so friendly to that perverted man?" he asked Anya in an unpleasant tone.

The girl was surprised by the statement that came out of Xav's lips.

"He's a nice guy, why would you call him that?" Anya retorted unhappily.

"You stupid girl, you're so easily fooled by that innocent face!" Xav knocked Anya's head unceremoniously and left.

"Hey, don't touch my head!" Anya screamed and caught up with Xav, intent on getting even. But of course it wasn't easy considering Anya's height was just below the man's chest. She was too small for Xav's towering stature.

"Pay back if you can!" mocked Xav with a satisfied laugh.

The two ran around the ponfokan's living room. Anya screamed, gibbering, mixed with annoyance at not being able to reply to Xav.

"Hey, dwarf, you can't touch my head!"

"What did you say, you called me a dwarf?!" screeched Anya angrily.

"You're a dwarf, look at how tiny you are," Xav sneered.

"Without this dwarf you wouldn't have gotten the position you wanted!" Anya scowled, leaving the man who had no intention of insulting her, other than to tease.

"Is she really that angry?" asked Xav to himself.

He saw Anya leave the room and head straight upstairs with her face bent.

"Anya Smith? Are you mad at me?" He started to worry when she didn't answer his call.

"Anya?"

There was silence.

"Are you angry?"

Xav immediately followed the girl upstairs.

"Anya, where are you?" Xav shouted.

Still no answer. He then opened one of the doors to the room. Exactly a few seconds after he pushed the door, a hand flew to his head and hit Xav's head quite hard. The man's reflexes caught the hand and...

Bruagh!

The body standing on the chair wavered, and fell right on top of Xav's body who slumped to the floor.

Anya's heart's intention was to get back at Xav, but instead she ended up falling on top of him. The brown sliced eyes looked into Xav's amber eyes.
"Why is it that at this close range, he looks so handsome," Anya whispered to herself. Anya's normal heartbeat instantly turned abnormal.

"How long do you want to be on top of me?" Xav whispered in a low, husky voice, just like a man with a libido.

"Shit!" Anya cursed when she realized that she was still on top of Xav. She quickly got up, and threw a glare at the man who now seemed to be holding back laughter.

"So you were trying to trick me, you want to get back at me?" the man asked, which Anya of course ignored.

"I hate it when people touch my head that way. Because my crazy, drunk father always did that to me and my mother whenever he was drunk and had no money, he would do that so many times that I would cry."

This time the girl said with a serious voice and face. Xav, who still thought it was a joke, immediately felt guilty.

He got up and immediately chased Anya who had already gone downstairs.

"Anya..." Xav called out.

The girl he called was staring at the coffee machine in front of him. She didn't make a sound or respond even though she clearly heard Xavier's call.

The man followed Anya into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry..." he said sincerely.

Anya turned her head, "do you want some coffee?"

"You're not angry?" asked Xav with a confused face.

"Forget it, just pretend I never talked to you about it. Would you like an espresso?" she asked again.

"Yes, please..." she replied as she sat at the table behind the coffee machine.

"Anya," he called again.

"Hmmm..."

"Was your father a very violent man?" asked Xav.

"Do you think any gentle man would beat his wife to the point of miscarriage?" Anya smiled bitterly.

"Wow, you must have experienced a lot of bad things during your time as his daughter," Xav muttered in response.

Anya placed a cup of coffee in front of Xav, not wanting to respond to the man's words.

"Can we go to my grandmother's house as soon as possible? I have some things to do, but..." Anya was about to continue but she seemed to hesitate.

"I want to ask you a favor."

Xav who had just taken a sip from his cup glanced at the girl with a frown.

"Hmmm... Do you mind if I ask you to be intimate in front of my family? I just want to make those bad guys regret having wasted me all this time..." he said honestly and innocently.

Xav stood up and brought his face close to Anya's, "Should I kiss you in front of them? "

Anya glared and shook her head, "Of course not, that's not what I meant. It's fine that you want to kiss me randomly," she muttered.

"But... You enjoyed it didn't you?" Xav whispered right into Anya's ear.